Veterans Voice: Paul Schweedler

One of Paul’s treasures from Vietnam is a “short timer stick” made for him by a Vietnamese artist. Many of the short-timers carried such sticks during their last 30 days of duty. His was made of bamboo with empty shell casings on each end and adorned with a red tassel. He is very proud of this memento. He said, however, that those final 30 days of duty were often the most hazardous as their minds are more focused on “returning to the world” and more likely to become careless, which in Vietnam could get one killed.

Pattonsburg veteran Paul Schweedler took basic training and AIT at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. From there he went to Fort Bragg, North Carolina in September of 1968, where he was assigned to finance work at the base.

In mid-January of 1969 he was briefly sent to Fort Hood, Texas, before flying into Saigon, South Vietnam. He was assigned to the 1st 183rd Field Artillery at a base near Phu Bai, which was relatively close to Hue, South Vietnam.

He was assigned to Headquarters Company and they were based on a cleared hill from which the artillery supported units of the 101st Airborne Division. Their base contained a Med-Evac copter pad which became a regular target of enemy rocket attacks, when things would become a little tense. Paul says that the coming and going of helicopters was virtually constant, day and night, and he can still hear the choppers in his mind. He can also recall the unique smells of the tropical countryside.

 A number of local people were employed at the base, and it was impossible to tell who they could, and could not trust. For example, they had a man who cut their hair during the day. One night the barber was killed as he and others tried to overrun the camp. He says such incidents made it difficult to trust the locals.

One of Paul’s duties was to act as a courier between Headquarters and outlying fire bases in the jungle. While he carried a weapon, there were times when things got a little too close for comfort. After serving his tour of duty, a new Sergeant ordered him to deliver a courier package to a firebase during the dark of night. Since he had already surrendered his weapons, he was reluctant to do so, and fortunately a superior officer intervened and saved him from making the delivery.

One of Paul’s treasures from Vietnam is a “short timer stick” made for him by a Vietnamese artist. Many of the short-timers carried such sticks during their last 30 days of duty. His was made of bamboo with empty shell casings on each end and adorned with a red tassel. He is very proud of this memento. He said, however, that those final 30 days of duty were often the most hazardous as their minds are more focused on “returning to the world” and more likely to become careless, which in Vietnam could get one killed.

Paul flew out of Saigon to Dakota Air Base in Japan. The next flight was to Seattle, but the plane experienced engine problems and had to return to Japan which was a scary experience. But once safely in Seattle, he flew to Kansas City where he was met by his brother, who took him home to Pattonsburg the next day.

Prior to Vietnam, Paul worked in Rockford, Illinois, and returned to work there. But he had some difficulties adjusting back to civilian life and spent the next three years “bumming around”. But he eventually married and worked 30 years at the Ford Plant in Kansas City prior to retirement. He and his wife raised three sons, all of whom still live in Missouri. He enjoys the small-town life in Pattonsburg, and comments that he can be to the city in about an hour.

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